Healthy lifestyle behaviors and gynecological cancer awareness in women academicians: a descriptive and correlational study

Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-024-07907-2 GYNECOLOGIC ONCOLOGY Healthy lifestyle behaviors and gynecological cancer awareness in women academicians: a descriptive and correlational study Rabiye Akin Işik1 · Ayşe Arikan Dönmez2 · Füsun Terzioğlu3 Received: 29 April 2024 / Accepted: 17 December 2024 © The Author(s) 2025 Abstract Objective To determine the healthy lifestyle behaviors (HLBs) and gynecological cancer awareness (GCA) levels of women academicians and to investigate the correlation between HLBs and GCA. Methods A descriptive correlational study design was used to determine the healthy life behaviors and gynecological cancer awareness levels of women academicians and to investigate the correlation between them. A total of 353 women academicians were included between 1st March 2020 and 1st January 2021. The data were collected using Introductory Form, Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II, and Gynecological Cancer Awareness Scale. Results The women’s healthy life behaviors levels were close to moderate and gynecological cancer awareness levels were high. The median healthy life behaviors score was significantly higher in women who worked as an assistant professor, considered the age of menarche and menopause as risk factors for women cancers, consumed regular snacks, received information about GCs, and had regular pap-smears (p < .05). The median gynecological cancer awareness score was significantly higher in women who worked as an assistant professor, considered the age of menarche and menopause as risk factors for women cancers, received information about GCs, and experienced pregnancy process (p < .05). In addition, as women’s healthy life behaviors levels increased, their gynecological cancer awareness levels also increased. The healthy life behaviors score was positively and moderately associated with the gynecological cancer awareness score (p < .05). Discussion Our findings highlight the potential to promote monitoring of women’s healthy lifestyle behaviors and gynecological cancer awareness in the community by planning effective interventions. Keywords Women · Academician · Healthy life behaviors · Gynecological cancer awareness What does this study add to the clinical work * Rabiye Akin Işik This study highlights that HLB and GCA levels are associated with working position, exercising regularly, consuming regular meals and snacks, regular gynecological examination, and pap-smear, getting information about GCs and knowing risk factors. Raising awareness of all women in the society about early diagnosis methods, symptoms and risk factors, routine control for GC may be contributed to adopt HLB in their lives. Ayşe Arikan Dönmez Füsun Terzioğlu 1 Faculty of Nursing, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey 2 Faculty of Nursing, Hacettepe University , Ankara, Turkey 3 Independent Researcher, Ankara, Turkey Vol.:(0123456789) Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics Introduction Current global cancer data show that the cancer burden is increasing every year. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reported that an estimated 19.3 million new cancer cases and almost 10 million cancer deaths occurred worldwide by 2020 [1]. Gynecological cancers (GCs), one of the cancers types whose number of cases increase rapidly every year, are of critical importance for women’s health [2]. According to the 2020 IARC data, among all cancer types in women, the 1st, 4th, 5th, and 7th rank of women cancers are: breast; cervix uteri, corpus uteri and ovary [3]. In the last 1 year, among all cancer types in women in Turkey, the breast ranked 1st, cervix uteri 2nd, corpus uteri 7th, ovary 9th [4]. Each type of GC has its own risk factors and having healthy lifestyle behaviors (HLBs) can be effective in reducing these risks [5]. While factors such as early onset of menstruation, delayed menopause, infertility and obesity are important risk factors for endometrial cancer [6], factors such as human papilloma virus (HPV), sexual intercourse at an early age or with multiple partners, smoking, and multiple births are known to be associated with cervical cancer [7]. Advanced age, being overweight or obese, having children later or never having a full-term pregnancy, receiving hormone therapy after menopause, having a family history of ovarian, breast or colorectal cancer are the main known risk factors for ovarian cancer [8]. Although the exact cause of vulvar and vaginal cancers is not clearly known, similar factors such as advanced age, HPV exposure, smoking, presence of precancerous lesions or disease in the vulva increase the risk as in other GCs [5]. The World Health Organization reports that about one-third of cancer deaths are due to modifiable lifestyle behaviors such as tobacco use, high body mass index (BMI), alcohol consumption, low fruit and vegetable intake, and lack of physical activity [2]. In general, most of the afore-mentioned risk factors for each type of GC can be modified. In other words, these cancers can be prevented or diagnosed at an early stage by adopting HLBs and integrating them into life. For example, HLBs such as regular exercise and healthy nutrition, vaccination for HPV, regular pap-smear tests, smoking cessation, regular medical check-ups, safe sexual intercourse practices, regular gynecological examinations are critical to reduce the risk of developing GC and to ensure early detection of the disease [9]. Primary (individual healthy lifestyle behaviors, physical activity) and secondary preventive health services (early diagnosis and screening) are recommended to reduce cancer incidence and mortality. One of the most important factors to prevent GCs is to have gynecological cancer awareness (GCA) [10]. GCA means that the society and individuals have knowledge about GCs, symptoms, risk factors, prevention methods and the importance of early diagnosis and awareness of these issues [1, 2]. The GCA enables women to recognize their own body, to know normal and abnormal changes in their reproductive organs, to recognize abnormalities quickly and to seek appropriate and timely health care services [11]. This awareness encourages women to undergo regular screening tests (e.g., Pap smears and HPV tests) and thus increases the likelihood of detecting cancer at an early stage. It also encompasses knowledge about adopting healthy lifestyles and controlling risk factors (e.g. smoking, obesity) [12, 13]. By fostering GCA, women can enhance the probability of early diagnosis by recognizing symptoms and seeking medical attention when necessary. This, in turn, elevates the efficacy of treatment and disease survival rates [12, 14, 15]. Studies on GCs show that women do not know the symptoms of cervical [16] and ovarian cancer [17], and risk factors associated with endometrial cancer [18], and therefore they have low GCA [19]. Healthy lifestyle behaviors (HLBs) refer to the attitudes and behaviors that indiv (...truncated)